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Berry Mousse and Lemon Poppy Seed Cake Verrines

May 13, 2009

"Whatcha making?" Bill asked when he stepped into the kitchen area on Sunday. "My birthday cake" I replied, scraping the last bit of batter onto a sheetpan. He then pointed at the two bowls filled with strawberries and blackberries, the couple of lemon and the bottle of Limoncello. "Yes, yes, yes...all those for my cake". His eyes lit up in anticipation and he left the room uttering "hmmhmmhmm".

A few hours later, he tried to sneak a peak into the refrigerator to see the final product and opened and closed the refrigerator door a couple of times. "Where is it? Are you done yet? I can't see it!". I pulled out a tray of glasses and handed him a spoon. "It's not a cake! Wait...I am sorry. It's your birthday, I should have known better..."

Lemon poppy seed cake brushed with straight Limoncello and layered with strawberry and blackberry mousse. There is cake, there is cream and there is enough space to stick a candle in it. I am ready to celebrate!

Yes, it's my birthday and since I like to make myself something I really want, it is most often one of three things (and sometimes all at once): it usually contains lemons, it must be small and preferably in a verrine (glass). The sound of spoons digging that last bit of dessert in the bottom of a ramekin or glass is music to my ears. It doesn't mean the end. It means everybody reached the bottom and "cling-cling" wishes for more. Happy sound.

With the abundance of local strawberries and the hot days we have been having, I started craving something light and refreshing. Everyday I've also been getting wild blackberries from the woods across the street and my mere one cup harvest grew to a whopping 1 pound on Sunday morning. I don't think the new neighbors have realized yet the treasure laying at their feet just a few yards away. I am already scheming blackberry pies, cobblers, sorbet and secretly wish they don't figure out what I am doing in the morning, reaching down into the bushes. I want it all....I promise to share the results of my baking though. Promise. Yes, really!!

As I was eating my (early) birthday treat, I started thinking about Bea, Anita and Jeannette, also celebrating another year this month and Kate to-day! There is also one tiny person who now can be added to the list of May babies and that is Kristin's newest addition, Leah Katherine, born on Monday night. This dessert is for you all!

Prepare the cake: preheat oven to 300F. In a large bowl, stir together all the dry ingredients for the cake. Set aside. In a separate medium bowl stir together the egg whites and the milk. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and slowly add in the egg white mixture while stirring with a whisk. Stir in the lemon juice, zest, the poppy seeds and the melted butter. Mix with a whisk until smooth. Line a quarter sheet pan with parchment paper, lightly spray with cooking spray and pour in the batter. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely and cut out as many disks as you need to fit inside your ramekins or glasses.

Prepare the strawberry mousse: sprinkle the gelatin over the water in a small bowl and set aside to bloom (soften).In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, stir together the strawberries and sugar just until hot. Add the gelatin and stir until it is completely melted. Let cool to room temperature. In the meantime, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks. Once the strawberries are at the right temperature, carefully fold the whipped cream into the fruit base.

Prepare the blackberry mousse the same way.

Assemble the verrines: brush Limoncello on each of the cake pieces or rounds that are going to be used in the glasses. Place a cake round at the bottom of the glass, top with blackberry mousse, one cake round, strawberry mousse, one cake round, blackberry mousse. Finish with more wipped cream if desired (I added lemon zest to mine).

This looks divine! I love the idea of your birthday cake almost in disguise.

Excited to see what you'll do with the blackberries - they seem like such a under appreciated fruit. Not really sure why, blackberry picking is so much fun. Maybe it's just that nobody ever manages to save enough to actually bake with them rather than eating them off the bush!

Happy Birthday Helen. Hi hi your Bill sounds like my hubby he too always looks into the kitchen andthen to the fridge when i make something.So yotoo Teaurean me too, just celebrated my b'day on monday.Love the mousse, looks yumm, when my FIL had a garden those berries were availabel in abundence, now he is not doing the garden anymore old age, so i have to buy them and it is really very expensive here :-(

Hmmm I'm Hungry now ! By your fault!I'm sorry I'm French and my english isn't very good.I love your blog because there is a lot of good cooking idea.And your pictures are so amazing, so beautiful...that makes me dream !!Great ! Have a nice day !

happy birthday! marvelous "cake" indeed. At first I thought it was a fool, which I always enjoy, but this is even better. I agree with you re: serving in glasses. For some reason, it is more fun. I love the transparency.

Wishing you a beautiful birthday with friends and family! Hoping you feel the love and appreciation all around you this day and many more to come. We, including strangers in the cyberspace, adore your individuality, your creation and your deep passion for what you do.

I wish you the happiest of birthdays, dear Helen! Time flies, my little Olivia turns 2 in a few weeks and I seriously don't know where the time has gone! All the more reason to cherish every little "cling-cling" of an empty verrine. :)

Wishing you the sweetest and happiest of days Helen!I always love your little verrine! Really that "cling-cling" means wishes for more. I fear I'd be breaking the verrine.Gerber daisies were my wedding bouquet. White ones not pink.

Happy birthday!!! This one might be a favorite of mine too.(berries being one of my favorites). I hope you have a very nice day and no verrines by the end of it. (And many years of your beautiful delicious blog to come!!)

Happy Birthday! You brought back a lot of memories of purple stained hands... when I grew up there were loads of blackberry bushes down our street as well, during summer we had them every day. The ones in stores don't taste quite the same.

The verrines are amazingly beautiful. toujour... always... they look beautiful. I hope that is how you say it. All I remember from my French class is je t'aime toujour. Hey thats whats important isnt it. Besides of course where is the bathroom?

Helen-Hope you had a fabulous birthday! Your Verrines looked so lovely, and sound scrumptious. I miss blackberries-they don't grow in Alaska. I buy them at Costco, but they don't taste like the ones you pick right off the bushes. Enjoy!